Why does it seem like radio and its media brethren are among the few industries that tend to look at transferable skills when considering candidates for open positions?
A friend of mine interviewed for a marketing and communications position with a local nonprofit. One of the first questions they were asked was: “I see you have a lot of experience in the commercial business world with marketing and communications, but I don’t see much in the way of nonprofit experience. How will your previous experience carry over to nonprofit work where you’ll primarily be communicating with internal colleagues and outside donors?”
Her response was spot on: “It wouldn’t be any different than how I communicated with internal colleagues in various departments, or our customers who called in throughout the day.” Yet, they passed her over, despite her many years of experience with transferable skills that would have benefited this organization.
Take time to peruse Indeed, CareerBuilder, and ZipRecruiter, and you’ll see help-wanted posts for sellers that look a lot like this:
“Candidate must have five years experience selling heavy machinery to right-handed foremen in excavating companies; previous experience selling to schools and government agencies is required for this role; otherwise, we will not consider your resume; must have advertising agency experience.”
The basics of every “sales” position are the same: asking questions to solve a problem and fill a need. Regardless of where you go, there are always new products, services, and sponsorships you’ll be selling. Why then is it so easy for media professionals to recognize this when they are hiring, but that never translates for our clients who are relying on our airwaves to advertise their open positions?
Aren’t we as consultative sellers responsible for advising our clients to look for transferable skills when they begin receiving applications?
According to Indeed, here are 10 examples of transferable skills: Communication, Dependability, Teamwork, Organization, Adaptability, Leadership, Decision-Making, Empathy, Initiative, and Technical Skills.
Flexjobs says this: “Think of transferable skills as part of your career tool belt. No matter what you learned at a previous job, transferable skills are what every worker gains from each career experience, including volunteering, internships, freelance jobs, and more. Even though your previous job title sounds different, you likely spent time planning, developing processes and timelines, and organizing a team to reach your goals. Those are the transferable skills that can help you land (a) new job.”
The next time a client brings you a job posting that reads like they’re looking for a purple unicorn with exactly 3.7 years of experience doing one very specific thing, challenge them. Ask them what they really need: someone who can communicate effectively, solve problems, and adapt to their culture? Or someone whose resume is a perfect match for a job description that might be eliminating their best potential hires?
We spend our days convincing clients that our listeners are the right audience for their message, even when the demographics don’t align perfectly on paper. We know that sometimes the best customers come from unexpected places. Isn’t it time we applied that same consultative approach to help them find their next great employee?
Because at the end of the day, skills can be taught, but drive, integrity, and the ability to learn? Those transferable qualities are what build great teams and thriving businesses. And that’s exactly the kind of strategic thinking our clients pay us to provide.
Bottom Line: If we can recognize that a great salesperson can sell anything because they understand people, problems, and solutions, why aren’t we helping our clients see the same truth about their hiring?
